


A Lion's Heart

by RedFox13



Category: Dark Souls (Video Games)
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, Hollowing, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Lots of Crying, M/M, Mourning, Swearing, The feels are real, hints at sex, life after death, not so cannon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22734223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedFox13/pseuds/RedFox13
Summary: Ornstein spends his final days with his master.
Relationships: Dragonslayer Ornstein/Nameless King
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

Far beyond the borders of Lordran the jagged ridges of Arch Dragon Peak stretched toward a deep blue sky. Amidst the weathered, wind swept crags a set of golden armor shimmered in the morning sunlight. Ornstein gave a silent prayer as he reached up to grasp another ledge. With a grunt he pulled himself up and rolled onto his back, he finally reached the summit. As he laid there a moment staring up at the sky he could see his breath drifting up like wisps of smoke. He was exhausted, every muscle in his body ached from the arduous climb, but he couldn't rest yet. Not when he was so close, not after all the centuries of waiting.

Slowly he climbed to his feet, wincing at every movement. Checking his pouch he pulled out an old sun emblem belonging to his master, if anything still lived here then he would need it shortly. Unstrapping his spear from his back he used it like a walking stick to aid him along the unsteady terrain. Up a treacherous curving trail and past a fallen log he met the first of the man serpents. It's yellow eyes fixed on him as it's jaw fell open with a warning hiss. It raised its sickle to strike but stopped as Ornstein held out the emblem.

The man serpent tilted its head and flicked its long forked tongue at him. Lowering its weapon it turned around and let out a sharp piercing shriek that ended in a low rattle. It walked away from him without a second glance. Taking that as a good sign he carried on till he came across a group of man serpents gathered near a gate. Up above a massive man serpent wielding an equally massive axe kept a close eye on him. The dragon slayer tried to look as friendly as possible as he passed them by. They didn't seem to care that he was there and he was grateful for that.

He had seen the nimble creatures shred warriors to bits in Sen's Fortress long ago. To think now it was nothing more than a heap of rubble worn down by time. Passing through an arch he entered under a gate and came upon a narrow courtyard. Each side had three grand statues of his master posing with his swordspear, the first ones he'd seen since... He shook his head in an attempt to forget about the broken statue that had sat in the Undead Burg for so long. At the far end of the courtyard he spotted a large bell, standing next to it was...Havel? Ornstein blinked a few times then looked again.

Sure enough it was Havel, he leaned idly on the handle of his weapon seemingly oblivious of his presence. Ornstein approached cautiously, uncertain if the ancient warrior was hollow or not. "Havel? Is it safe to approach? You're not going to pummel me are you?" Ornstein held his spear in both hands just in case. The warrior regarded him silently for a moment before he replied in a gravelly voice. "Long as ya' don't stick me with yer damn toothpick I won't. Took yer damn time didn't ya? He's changed since you last seen him."

Ornstein knew who he was talking about, an ugly feeling of dread turned his stomach in a knot. What did he mean by changed? Would he even recognize him? Lowering his weapon he shifted uneasily on his feet. "Where is he?" Havel looked up towards the top of the massive fortress that dominated the mountain. "He's up top, probably meditating. Been there a while now. Go back and take the elevator." Ornstein didn't recall seeing an elevator, he was about to ask where it was but Havel had turned to walk away. Looking over his shoulders he called back, "Don't take too much longer. One of the wyverns doesn't like strangers, he'll be here soon."

Heeding his warning Ornstein picked up the pace, his tired body protesting every step. After a brief search he found the elevator and rode it up. He tensed at every creak and groan as the rusted metal platform carried him up. At the top he stepped out into a large room decorated with faded red and gold tapestries and dusty bronze incense burners. At first he thought it was a temple but the scattered remains of dragon worshipers made it feel more like a mausoleum. Another man serpent wearing a strange iron contraption around its waist glared coldly at him as he walked up the stairs. A lengthy walkway lay beyond another gate, luckily for him it was open.

The walkway led to an open air courtyard with life size statues of dragons perched on pedestals adorning either side. Ornstein froze, his gaze locked on them. They remained unmoving, their jaws open in a silent roar. After a few minutes he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. With all the stony wyverns and gargoyles he fought to get here he wasn't taking any chances.

He walked along, eyes scanning over every pillar and stone. He stopped as he spied a figure seated in a meditative pose near the far end of the courtyard. Any tiredness the lion knight felt he brushed aside as he rushed towards his master. As he closed the distance between them he felt his legs trying to give out on him. He was just in arms reach when his body finally couldn't take anymore and he passed out.


	2. Reunion

Farram took a deep breath as he relaxed on the ground. The sky was starting to lighten as the sun rose over the horizon. It would be another day of solitude and agonizing loneliness. Far off in the distance the graying spires of Anor Londo poked up from the clouds, he had watched the glorious city of the gods fade from afar as the centuries passed. His thoughts drifted to his family and his dear knight that he'd had to leave behind. 

He missed Ornstein dearly, and honestly he wasn't even sure if he was still alive. The last warrior that came from Lordran was Ledo, and he said Anor Londo had been abandoned. The cathedral was inaccessible and the new city of Irythll now dominated the tundra valley. Ledo left sometime later to visit the Ringed City, he never could stay in one place.

Taking a moment to clear his mind he settled down to meditate. As he turned his focus inward the world around him faded away into nothingness. Hours later he yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Damn! I did it again. He thought as he stretched his stiff limbs. From the corner of his eye a glint of something metal made him turn his head...

He couldn't believe it! He knew that armor, he'd seen it so many times. And for so long it haunted his dreams. Now his knight was right in front of him, face first on the ground with his left hand reaching out, the other still firmly grasped his spear. Timidly Farram reached out, hesitant to touch him fearing he would vanish like a mirage. But as he ran his hand along the cold metal he knew it was real. He couldn't hear the rush of the wind over the frantic pounding of his heart.

He was filled with a sense of urgency as he rolled Ornstein over. Tugging away his helm his fingers fumbled along his throat, after a moment of desperate searching he found it. That rhythmic tell tale sign of life, a heartbeat, but it was very weak. Working swiftly he stripped off the rest of his armor except for his right gauntlet. He couldn't get Ornstein to relinquish his grip on his weapon, at least not without risk of breaking his fingers. Not wanting to waste anymore time he summoned his drake, once it landed he climbed on and held Ornstein close. The drake was unhappy about the extra rider and shrieked its disapproval as it took off. Just as it begun to circle over the mausoleum Ornstein finally let go of his spear and it fell noisily next to the gate.

Half way down the mountain and out of view a small palace had been carved into a cliff side. There was a large stone platform for the drake to land on, once safely grounded Farram carried his unconscious knight inside. A few sharp turns down the dusty corridors led him to his chambers. Placing Ornstein on his bed he removed his right gauntlet and searched a nearby shelf. He picked up a crystal bottle half full of a shimmering golden liquid. It was the last divine blessing he brought from Anor Londo, he hoped after all these years it still worked.

As carefully as he could manage he poured the liquid into Ornstein's mouth. Divine blessings weren't really meant for internal use, but in certain cases it was drunk to halt internal bleeding. Tossing away the empty bottle he knelt by the bed and waited. Ornstein had changed very little since he'd last seen him, he was a little thinner and paler than he'd remembered. And under his eyes were dark rings from hours of staying up late. His long fiery hair remained the same, and he had a few new scars. A fresh one over his left eye was still scabbed over.

Gradually his color returned to his face and his breathing evened out. Finally Farram began to relax, he was confident his knight would recover. As he stood to fetch a blanket he noticed a wet spot next to where he'd been sitting. "Where did that come from?" He asked. Passing by his dingy wall mirror he glanced over and saw he had tears still running down his face. "Have I really been crying all this time?" He shook his head.

Ornstein slowly began to wake up several hours later. He felt oddly comfortable and pleasantly warm, which felt horribly wrong considering he was supposed to be on top of a frigid mountain. Opening his eyes he willed himself to sit up, his body aching at every movement. He was unnerved to discover his armor was gone and he was laying in someone's bed. Scanning the room he guessed he was inside the mountain, the walls, floor, and ceiling had been roughly carved from the rock. Against the far wall was a fireplace, the flickering orange flames lit the room in a soft glow. Leaning against the wall next to it was his master's sword spear. Ornstein relaxed a little, "This must be his room." He muttered as he climbed out of bed.

His legs felt like lead as he trudged towards the door. Instead of an actual door a simple curtain with a dragon emblazoned on it hung in its place. Brushing it aside he walked out and down the hall, it only took him three turns and about five minutes to get himself completely lost. He wasn't quite sure where exactly he was, but he was sure no one had been here in a long time. As he leaned against the wall to rest a moment the scent of food cooking caught his attention. His stomach growled loudly, for so long he'd been living off of tree roots, mushrooms, and dried berries after his supplies ran out. The thought of actually eating again made him smile.

Following his nose he wandered down another corridor and turned right, at the end he found a kitchen. It was rather small but looked well stocked, along one wall hung a rack of well worn iron cookware and above a prep table in the corner bundles of herbs were drying. Next to the stove a man stood stirring a pot. His long snowy white hung loosely down his back and his skin had a grayish tone, but by his frame and familiar robes Ornstein knew who it was. He wobbled his way towards his master all the while his knees threatened to give out again.

Just as they did his master turned and caught him just in time. "Are you mad?!! What are you doing out of bed?" His bright golden eyes fixed on him in a glare, but his gaze softened as he saw tears rolling down Ornstein's cheeks. He pulled his knight close and hugged him, "I've missed you... Gods, how I've missed you... I thought perhaps you'd passed long ago, so many nights I've dreamt of you coming here...only when you took off your helmet...it wasn't you but a corpse..." Farram's voice cracked as he too began to cry. "Please forgive me. I meant to come sooner, but I had to look after Gwyndolin, it was your last order to me. He sends his greetings...he's missed you terribly." Ornstein reached up to brush away his master's tears.

Farram smiled warmly, grabbing Ornstein's hand he brought it to his lips and kissed it, the lion knight's cheeks turned pink making his master chuckle. "Alright, I'm certain you are weary from the journey here. I'm going to take you back to my room, get some rest and I'll bring you some food when it's ready." Farram said as he let go. Ornstein nodded then let out a surprised yelp as his master scooped him up and carried him off. "This really isn't necessary!" Ornstein whined. "You nearly fell over just a moment ago, so it kind of is." Farram replied.

It took only minutes before Ornstein was back in the bedroom being tucked in. Once he was comfortable Farram kissed Ornstein on the cheek and left to finish cooking. Meanwhile Ornstein had no trouble nodding off.


	3. Recovery

Ornstein sat in bed sipping a mug of warm soup. Farram sat nearby on a stool, waiting patiently as Ornstein ate. The other glanced over and noticed he didn't have anything. "Will you eat something too, your grace?" Farram winced before replying. "I'm not hungry just now. And please, don't call me that. I'm not a god anymore, I am simply the nameless king of a lonely mountain."

Ornstein looked over at him and mumbled an apology. An awkward silence fell over them for a time. When he finished Farram took the mug back to the kitchen, meanwhile Ornstein sat there wondering what to do next. It dawned on him that it had been ages since he bathed, so when his master returned he asked him if there was a place to wash up. "Yes, we do actually. Not far from the kitchen is a hot spring I accidentally dug up, so I converted it into a bath like the ones back in Anor Londo."

"Great, I would very much like to clean up." Ornstein said. Farram looked at him with uncertainty, "Alright, but I'm going with you. I don't want you to get lost. I haven't forgotten how bad you are with directions." That made Ornstein slap his forehead, "Don't remind me. I got lost just trying to get here." Farram rolled his eyes, "Why does that not surprise me." Climbing out of bed Ornstein slowly made his way to the baths, Farram followed close behind to give him directions or catch him again if he fell.

The baths were in the middle of a room carved out of rock much like the rest of the building. Chiseled into the walls were stone shelves that held stacks of well worn towels and bars of soap. Ornstein tugged off his dirty clothes and tossed them on the ground before gingerly wading in. The bath was shallow on one end but quickly went up to his chest, he gave a contented sigh as the hot water soothed his sore body. "That hair of yours definitely needs washing, mind if I help?" Farram asked. "That would be nice." Ornstein replied.

Farram shrugged off his robe and kicked off his sandals before climbing in. Reaching for a bar of soap he begun to lather up Ornstein's hair. It had been ages since they'd done this, his master hadn't lost his touch as he nimbly worked his way through all the matted knots and tangles. "You promised me you'd take better care of yourself." He said quietly as Ornstein dunked his head underwater. A cloud of dirt and suds came up so he moved away before surfacing. "I tried. But it wasn't easy. Everything went straight to hell after you left." Ornstein replied. Farram noticed a scowl on his face as he said this. Not wanting him to be upset he playfully pulled him close for a kiss. Ornstein leaned against him and kissed him back. "Looks like I wasn't the only one who was lonely." He said teasingly.

Farram's face went red as he realized what he meant. He quietly cursed himself as he proceeded to wash up himself. Ornstein chuckled as he watched him fumble about with the soap. Once they finished they dried off and Farram dressed Ornstein in a spare tunic and pants he found tucked away on a shelf. It was a little loose on him, but he was fine with that. It was just after dark so Farram had to guide Ornstein back to the bedroom, inside he tucked his knight in and climbed in next to him. For the first time in centuries they both slept peacefully.

Winter came swiftly to the mountains and the frigid cold kept everyone inside. Ornstein slowly regained his strength and was up wandering the palace in no time. This place was massive, and his master had carved it all himself. The temple had been built by dragon worshipers before his time, and he spent his first years of exile there before going nearly crazy from boredom. Exploring the mountain he found the cliff and thought of carving out a small home for himself. But as warriors continued to arrive seeking the Path of the Dragon he dug out rooms for them too.

Over time they all passed away, and now besides a few that wander Lordran, Havel was the only one Farram talked to with exception of his drake. The giant purple Oni greeted him every morning at the cliff with a shrill cry and he'd carry on a conversation with it. The beast kept a wary gaze on Ornstein and shied away when he got too close. The lion knight had no problem with that considering his past as a dragon slayer, he felt uneasy going near the beast unarmed. That day Farram had returned from an afternoon flight around the mountain and saw that Ornstein's armor and spear were still at the temple.

He asked his knight if he wanted them back, Ornstein shook his head. "No, I don't need them anymore. For so long I've been either been the fearless dragon slayer or the proud lion. Now I just want to be me." Farram smiled faintly, "A house cat?" Ornstein's face turned red. "I'm not a house cat!!" He snapped. "You like to lounge in the sun, you can't stand being dirty, you like head pats, and you like to cuddle. If you're not a house cat, then what are you?" Farram replied. Ornstein threw up his hands with a exasperated sigh as he trudged back into the palace.


	4. Memories

Ornstein and Farram laid together in bed as a bone chilling blizzard blanketed the mountains in snow and ice. Farram was on his back staring at the ceiling, his knight was laying with his head on his chest. Today was a lazy day and neither felt compelled to leave the warmth and comfort of their bed. Farram looked over to see a pair of emerald eyes watching him. "What's on your mind?" Ornstein asked. "Hmm? Lots of things. I'm curious, what's happened in Lordran since I've left?"

Ornstein was quiet for a moment, a lot had happened and he didn't quite know where to begin. "Well, Lord Gwyn sacrificed himself and his Black Knights in the kiln to link the fire. He started a cycle where champions gather the Lord Souls and continue to kindle the flames."

"He always did fear the dark, even before the age of fire. What of my siblings?" Farram asked. "Gwynevere and her husband founded the Lothric bloodline after leaving Anor Londo. Gwyndolin became a strong and just ruler and a powerful sorcerer. His illusions are incredible, he used them when an Undead came seeking the Lordvessel so we wouldn't actually have to fight them. He was very protective of us."

"We? As in the other Knights of Gwyn?" Ornstein fell silent as a pained expression crossed his face. Farram bit his lip, he could tell something bad had happened. "I was the last Knight of Gwyn. Hawkeye Gough went blind and retired. Artorias fell to the dark, another undead granted him peace and destroyed the source of the Abyss. Ciaran pined away at his grave until she died of a broken heart. Sif guarded them both, I don't know what became of her. I guarded the cathedral with Smough the executioner."

"I'm so sorry. I know how you cherished them. It must've been hard." Farram put his arms around Ornstein in an attempt to comfort him. "It was...but they're all resting peacefully now. You know, if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here. They kept me from falling apart when you left, I had nearly given up on life entirely. But they stayed at my side and never let me quit."

"I will say a prayer for them since I can't thank them." Farram said quietly. "They'd like that." The other smiled. "Oh! I forgot! Gwyndolin has a daughter, she was abandoned by someone from the painted world. She looks nearly like Priscilla, her name is Yorshka. She adores Gwyndolin and calls him big brother." This made Farram laugh, Ornstein rolled onto his side and tucked his arm under a pillow.

"Who is Priscilla? I didn't meet her." There it was again, that pained look on Ornstein's face. "I'm not really supposed to tell... But for you I will. Duke Seath got lonely and wanted a lover, so he seduced Fillianore and slept with her numerous times. She had fraternal twins, Priscilla and Shira. Priscilla was locked away because she was more dragon than divine, and the gods feared her power. Shira became a knight to serve her mother, they were banished to the Ringed City. Duke Seath got angry and took your cousin Gerturde and defiled her to get back at Lord Gwyn. After that they had a falling out."

"Damn that vile bastard!!" Farram hissed. "I'd risk execution for a chance to ram a lightning stake into his balls!!!" Ornstein laughed at the image that conjured. "Sorry, he was slain long ago along with the other Lords to keep the flame lit." Farram gave a satisfied huff, "Good! Never trusted that traitorous lizard." The conversation tapered off into silence once again, Ornstein started to drift off until he felt Farram playing with his hair. He was attempting to braid it and doing a poor job at it. "You're bored aren't you?" He mumbled. "Maybe, but there's not much to do with everything covered in snow."

Ornstein gave him a devilish smile, "There is something we could do." Farram stared blankly at him for a moment before he understood what Ornstein meant. "Oh!! Well... We could... But it's been so long... I'm not sure about this..." Ornstein gave him a playful kiss, "Oh come on. You're not going to break me. Besides if I could handle climbing up here to see you then I can take anything you can throw at me.!"

(Several hours later)

Ornstein had seriously underestimated just how pent up his master had been. He felt like he'd climbed the mountain all over again. Farram apologized profusely for getting carried away, not only did he nearly break his knight but he shattered the wooden frame his bed sat on. After cleaning up they worked together to remove all the splintered pieces of wood and drug in another frame from a guest room. Ornstein took a very long nap while Farram went out to check on the wyverns.


	5. Hollow

Years had passed since Ornstein reunited with his master. They grew close again in their time together, but all that time Ornstein had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. His master always seemed to have a very calm expression despite his lively mood, he had always been a big eater but now he rarely ate at all. He was never a morning person, just the thought of getting up early made him cringe. But now he woke up earlier than him with no problem, in fact he always looked as if he were pretending to sleep.

As he sat watching him drill one afternoon he noticed he never broke a sweat or even got short of breath. Yet he could tell by how he moved that he was giving his all with every strike. He felt his stomach turning in knots as feeling of dread came over him. He'd seen this countless times before with the Silver Knights and even a few of the royals. He prayed he was wrong, but he still wanted to know for sure. Asking was out of the question because he knew his master wouldn't tell. So he had a test that would give him the truth.

That evening Ornstein asked to cook, neither were very hungry so he simply made some sandwiches. When Farram wasn't in the kitchen Ornstein stuck green blossoms into his sandwich. Farram couldn't stand its bitterness and when he ate it he would make the most awful faces. Then Ornstein heavily salted it before giving it to him. He brought his master's food to him at the cliff side since he was there playing with his drake.

Farram thanked him and accepted his plate, Ornstein held his breath. He felt his heart sink to his feet as his master ate without any issue. He even complimented him and said it was good. The lion knight swiftly excused himself and ducked away into an empty room, he fell to his knees and began to sob uncontrollably. How did he not notice sooner? All this time his master had been slowly turning hollow. Hollows didn't have a sense of taste, and they never needed to eat or sleep, even though they could if they wanted. The ones who lost their sanity roamed aimlessly until they were put down. The thought that one day his master would end up this way both saddened and terrified him, and knowing that he would likely be the one to put him out of his misery made him sob even more.

Farram had returned inside to look for Ornstein after he vanished suddenly. A sad wail from a nearby guest room caught his attention, peeking inside he found Ornstein on the floor bawling his eyes out. Concerned he rushed to his side and knelt next to him. "Ornstein?!! What happened? What's wrong?" He looked up at his master sniffling and shuddering. "Why-why didn't you tell me?!!" He gasped. Farram held him close and began to stroke his back in an attempt to calm him. "Easy, take a breath. It's alright." Ornstein pulled away sharply, "You've been going hollow all this time and you didn't tell me!! How can I take it easy?!!" He yelled. "After all I've been through to get you back and I'm going to lose you again!!! It is not fucking alright!!"

Farram flinched and a hurt expression crossed his face as he lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I couldn't bring myself to tell you. You were so happy, the happiest I've ever seen you. I would've hated myself for ruining it." As Ornstein looked up he saw his master was crying too, he suddenly felt horrible for yelling at him. "I'm sorry, please don't think I'm angry with you. I'm just scared, I've seen what happens when a person goes hollow. I couldn't stand to see you like that."

"I understand. If it makes you feel any better I can send you back to Lordran on the drake. You'll be safe from me and I won't make you suffer by watching me hollow out." Farram said quietly as he wiped away a tear with his sleeve. Ornstein looked at him with shock, "What? No!! I'm not leaving you! I can't just abandon you like that, not after all the times you took care of me and protected me. I would rather feed myself to a drake before leaving you behind!"

"Actually I think you'll give the drake an upset stomach..." Ornstein buried his face in his hands, "Ugh! You're timing with jokes is terrible as always. That would've made Artorias cringe and he laughed at everything." He groaned. Farram shrugged his shoulders, "I was just trying to lighten the mood."

After spending some time calming Ornstein down they spent a quiet evening together. That night far off in the distance an ominous bell tolled loudly. Ornstein shuddered, he knew all too well what that bell meant. The fire was fading again. Day after day the world grew darker until it was perpetual night. And finally the sun flickered out, leaving the world in total darkness. Ornstein stood at the cliff side gazing out into the blackness, he couldn't make out anything, not even the drakes screeching as they circled up above.

This was Gwyn's worst nightmare coming true, the end of the age of fire. Most of the time he spent huddled up against Farram trying to stay warm. They didn't light fires so they could conserve any fuel they had. He had thought it was cold during the winter, but without the sun it was frigid. Time seemed to grind to a halt as the world fell silent around them. Far away they could glimpse tiny flames illuminating Anor Londo and Irythll, but over time they too went dark.

They felt like the only ones in the whole world. Farram began to keep his face covered with a scarf, he told Ornstein it was because he was cold. But in truth his hollowing was getting worse, he couldn't see but he could feel the bones of his face sticking out more and his eyes had sunk in. After what felt like a lifetime of lurking in the gloom the bell tolled once more, and the sun revived in a brilliant show of light. Ornstein was mortified when he finally got to see his master clearly. He looked every bit like a walking corpse, and his voice had grown hoarse.

He knew his master was suffering and it broke his heart to see him like that. But he wasn't going to leave him, not now when Farram really needed him. One last time he needed to be brave, one last time he had to be the confident dragon slayer and the proud lion. And he would do it for the man he loved.


	6. Farewell

It was an oddly peaceful day on the mountain, most of the drakes had perished in the dark. Only two ancient wyverns remained, it was unsafe to visit the temple since Havel had hollowed out and the hungry man serpents had grown hostile, so Ornstein stayed at the palace. Farram had gone to tend to his Oni, it's nest had been crushed in a rock slide. The lion knight was relaxing in a sunny spot waiting for his master to return.

Eventually he did and they cleaned up, had dinner, and relaxed by a warm fire. For once Farram actually fell asleep, and Ornstein laid awake. When sleep finally caught up to him he drifted off for a time, but then he was promptly awaken by a strange voice calling his name. He sat up to see an ethereal woman with milky white skin and inky black locks standing by the bed. Her face was concealed by her mist colored robe but her voice was unmistakable. "Rise, Ornstein. Your time has come."

"Velka? What do you mean my time has come?" He said in alarm as he stood from the bed. "Your life in this world has ended. Now you must come to the spirit world with me. You will be rewarded for your pain and suffering, and you will be returned to your family." The goddess said calmly. Ornstein shook his head, "I'm sorry, but no. I'm not leaving him." He turned to point at the bed and saw his body vanish into light, a brilliant golden soul shining like a small sun was left behind. "I'm sorry, your death was inevitable. But fret not, your lover has one last battle before he joins you." A sad smile crossed Velka's face.

Ornstein sighed defeatedly. "Very well. But at least let me say goodbye, and my soul goes to him. It's an old tradition amongst warriors." The goddess nodded. Ornstein approached the bed and leaned over to give Farram a kiss. "I love you." He whispered. He wanted to say more but couldn't, his voice failed him. Turning away he watched the goddess wave a catalyst and a portal of silver light opened up. On the other side he saw a field full of vibrant flowers and a tall arch tree.

There sat all his friends as if they were patiently waiting for someone.  
Gough was whittling away in the shade while Ciaran was perched up on a branch. Sif was curled up on the ground and Artorias was using her for a pillow. The wolf knight caught sight of him and waved, he jumped to his feet and ran to greet him as Ornstein stepped through the portal...

Farram sat on the edge of the bed cradling Ornstein's soul in his hands. All this time it had never lost its radiance, he had gazed at it for hours now. He quietly cursed himself for falling asleep, he could've been there to say a final goodbye. He wanted to cry so badly, but he was too far gone to do so. So he did the only thing he could to honor his friend and joined his soul to his own. Later that day the giant bell of the temple sounded that summoned him forth for a duel. With a heart full of grief he rode his drake into the storm. Deep down he knew he wouldn't walk away from this fight, but he calmly accepted that. One last time his enemies would feel the fury of the god of war.


End file.
